Manufacturers
The top manufacturers of inkjet printers are
Epson, Canon, HP, Dell, Lexmark, and Brother
The inkjet market can be further divided into the cartridge technologies utilized.
Fixed Head with Removable Cartridge.
The print head is a permanent fixture of the printer and is not removable. Cartridges are simply plastic repositories with (electronic registers) for remaining ink measurement.
(Canon and Epson printers fall into this category)
Disposable Head/Cartridge assemblies
The print head is part of the ink cartridge assembly, and is replaced as part of a new cartridge. (Dell, HP, and Lexmark Printers fall into this category.)
Note: HP is transitioning to a fixed head philosophy in many of its newer printer model lines.
Advantages / Disadvantages
(Print Head Replacement)
Although many have said that there is an advantage to replacing the print head assembly with each cartridge change, we, as ink distributors have never seen any degradation in print quality of printers from Canon or Epson printers even after many years of operation
(Third Party Generic Cartridges)
Third party generic Cartridges are only available for printers using a fixed print head. All third party cartridges are simply plastic repositories with (electronic registers) for remaining ink measurement. As this is the area where most cost savings can be identified, we recommend that your selection of printer manufacturer be limited to Canon or Epson.
(Remanufactured Cartridges)
There is a significant third party market that exists for the purposes of Re-cycling integrated Print Head/Cartridge assemblies. They clean and electronically test each re-manufactured cartridge for re-sale. Unfortunately these cartridges suffer from a higher overall reject/failure rate versus that of a new cartridge, and offer little savings versus that of a new original cartridge. These cartridges can be found for the HP, Lexmark, and Dell printers.
Our Recommendations
As we are all aware that the printer manufacturers all follow a Business Strategy first adoptedby Gillette. Offer a product (Razor Handles) at little or no cost and charging a higher rate of return for replacement parts (Razor Blades).
The printer manufactures do the same, offer their printers at cost or below, and then maximize profits via the sale of inkjet replacement cartridges.
You can beat the manufactures at their own game by ensuring that you select a printer/model that offers 3rd party replacement cartridges where you can purchase replacement cartridges at approximately 60%-75% less than New OEM cartridges.
I.E. A full set of replacement cartridges for Canon or Epson Printers are in the order of $22-$32 cdn.
A replacement set of OEM cartridges for an HP printer are in the Order of $80.00.
What if you already have an HP or Lexmark Printer?
Believe it or not we recommend that you purchase a NEW replacement printer (Canon, or Epson) that offer 3rd party cartridge capability.
Yes, that right, you can purchase a New replacement printer, in most cases for less than you can purchase replacement cartridges for an HP, Lexmark, or Dell printer.
Not only do you get a new printer, but the new printer comes with a set of inkjet cartridges (Although normally partially filled).
Typically you can purchase a new Photo or Multifunction printer with Cartridges from Canon or Epson for less than the cost of a set of cartridges from HP, Lexmark or Dell.
I.E. Future Shop has weekly sales for printers such as
Epson All-In-One Multifunction Centre (CX4200)
Curently selling for $69.99 cdn after rebates.
Conclusion
If you have the capability to purchase a new Canon or Epson printer On Sale from a reputable supplier that is supported by 3rd party Inkjet cartridge manufacturers, you will reap the benefits of lower costs cartridges by anywhere from 60-75% savings per purchase.
In effect, you will have saved the cost of the new printer purchase after the first set of cartridges purchased.
Supplementary Information
What are the third party cartridges and models supported for Canon and Epson Printers?
Would you like to find more information out about printer designs and function?
Note: All numeric representations of savings were accurate at the time of publication. As prices are subject to change without notice we can not guarantee these statements will hold true forward in time.
All coments in this blog are personal opinions only and should not in any way be representated as fact(s) or as a statement by Metawatch with respect to product and or quality of independant product suppliers.
Filed under: FAQ, Inkjet Info | Tagged: 3rd party replacement cartridges, Brother, Canon, CX4200, Dell, Epson, HP, Inkjet Printers demystified, Lexmark, plastic repositories, Remanufactured Cartridges, Third Party Generic Cartridges |
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